2025 Houston Cougar football schedule released

Last week, the University of Houston's 2025 football campaign was officially released. Here's what it looks like:

    Thu Aug 28    Stephen F. Austin
    Sat Sep 06      at Rice
    Sat Sep 13      Colorado
    Sat Sep 20      (off)
    Sat Sep 27      at Oregon State
    Sat Oct 04      Texas Tech
    Sat Oct 11      at Oklahoma State
    Sat Oct 18      Arizona
    Sat Oct 25      at Arizona State
    Sat Nov 01     West Virginia
    Sat Nov 08     at Central Florida
    Sat Nov 15     (off)
    Sat Nov 22     TCU
    Sat Nov 29     at Baylor

At first glance, this looks somewhat easier than last season's schedule. It features seven games in the City of Houston (as opposed to six in 2024), an FCS opponent to start the season (as opposed to a good UNLV team to begin 2024), six opponents who played in bowl games last season (as opposed to eight) and two opponents who ended the season ranked (as opposed to four). 

That being said, this is still a difficult schedule, with seven opponents coming off winning seasons in 2024 and games in all four time zones (including lengthy trips to Corvallis, Oregon; Tempe, Arizona [where they face last year's Big 12 champion, Arizona State]; and Orlando, Florida). Needless to say, if the Cougars do not make tremendous improvement from 2024, especially on offense, they will be looking at a third consecutive losing year. 

Of interest is that there are no back-to-back home or road games on this schedule; every home game is followed by a road game and vice versa. Apparently this is the first time in the 80-year history of the UH football program that this has happened. The Thursday, August 28 opener against Stephen F. Austin is also the earliest season opener in program history. 

Every team on this schedule is a school the Cougars have played previously, although in some cases it's been awhile: Houston last played Stephen F. Austin in 1948, Oregon State in 1970, Colorado in 1971, and Arizona State in 1990 (in Tokyo!).

I wasn't able to make any road trips last season, but I'm thinking that late September Oregon State game might be a good travel opportunity. I've never been to the Pacific Northwest.